You want your Yahoo Mail showing up alongside everything else in the Outlook app on your Windows PC, so you can read and send from one inbox. The good news: Outlook officially supports Yahoo, and in most cases you will not hand Microsoft your password at all.
You sign in on a Yahoo-branded page in your browser, approve a permissions screen, and Outlook connects. This is called OAuth, and it works in both the new Outlook for Windows and an up-to-date classic Outlook.
Before you start, have your full Yahoo address ([email protected]) and your regular Yahoo password ready. The steps below are ordered fastest and most common first, with manual setup and app passwords as fallbacks for older Outlook versions.
Add Yahoo to the New Outlook for Windows (Recommended)
This is the quickest path and needs no app password. Outlook hands you off to Yahoo's own sign-in page, where your regular password works.
Open the new Outlook for Windows. Go to the View tab and select View settings (alternatively: File > Account info).
Select Accounts, then Your accounts.
Under Email accounts, select Add Account.
Enter your Yahoo email address and select Continue.
On the sync screen, select Continue. A new tab opens in your web browser to sign in with Yahoo.
In the browser, complete the Yahoo sign-in, including two-factor authentication if you have it set up. Use your regular Yahoo password, not an app password.
When the permissions window appears, select Agree.
If a browser pop-up says "https://outlook.office.com wants to open this application", select Open.
Back in Outlook, select your Yahoo email folder and view the Inbox.
That is it. Your Yahoo mail now syncs into Outlook. If Outlook ever shows "Please create an app password for Outlook on your email provider's site", jump to the app-password section below and paste the generated code when prompted.
Add Yahoo to Classic Outlook for Windows
If you are running classic (desktop) Outlook, the flow is nearly identical and still uses Yahoo's browser sign-in.
Open classic Outlook. Select File, then + Add Account.
Enter your Yahoo email address and select Connect.
Complete the Yahoo browser sign-in, including two-factor authentication if configured.
Select Agree on the Yahoo permissions screen.
Select Done on the confirmation screen.
Open the Yahoo account's folder and view the Inbox.
To make Yahoo your default account, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select the Yahoo account, choose Set as Default, then Close.
Confirm Your Outlook Version Supports Yahoo OAuth
OAuth (the no-app-password method) is gated to certain Outlook update channels and builds. Yahoo OAuth reached full availability on the Current Channel as of August 2, 2023, with a minimum build of 16308.10000.
If you are on the Monthly Enterprise Channel or Semi-Annual Channel, OAuth may not be available yet; in that case, update your channel or use the manual IMAP method with an app password (below). When OAuth is working, the support guidance is explicit: use your regular Yahoo password, not the app password, and keep 2-Step Verification enabled on Yahoo as good practice.
One thing to expect: if you had previously configured this Yahoo account with an app password, Outlook may prompt you to sign in again once OAuth becomes available.
Set Up Yahoo Manually as IMAP (Fallback)
Use this only if your Outlook channel or client does not offer Yahoo's branded OAuth sign-in. This path needs a Yahoo app password (covered in the next section).
Select File > Add Account.
Enter your Yahoo email address, select Advanced options, check Let me set up my account manually, then select Connect.
Select the account type IMAP.
Enter the server settings (below), then select Next.
Enter your Yahoo app password and select Connect.
Yahoo's verified server settings for manual setup are:
Incoming (IMAP) server: imap.mail.yahoo.com, port 993, SSL required (Yes).
Outgoing (SMTP) server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com, port 465 or 587, SSL required (Yes), authentication required (Yes).
Username: your full Yahoo email address ([email protected]).
Password: a Yahoo app password, not your regular account password.
Generate a Yahoo App Password
An app password is a one-time generated code that lets a non-OAuth client into your account. You only need one for the manual IMAP path, or if you have two-step verification or Yahoo Account Key enabled and your client cannot use Yahoo's sign-in page.
Go to your Yahoo Account Security page (sign in at login.yahoo.com).
Locate the External connections section.
Select Create app password.
Enter a name for the application (for example, Outlook).
Click Generate password. Yahoo produces a randomly generated code.
Use that code as the password in Outlook's manual setup, then click Done.
If generating the password fails, use a browser you have signed into Yahoo with for several days in a row, and avoid Incognito mode; Yahoo webmail or the official Yahoo app are alternatives. Note that app passwords stay active even after you change your main account password, so to revoke one you must return to Account Security > External connections, select it, and Delete.
Reauthenticate When Yahoo Stops Syncing
If a previously working Yahoo account stops loading mail, the fix is usually to sign in again rather than re-add from scratch.
In Outlook, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign in > Continue, then authenticate on Yahoo's sign-in page with your email and password. Complete two-factor verification if prompted, then authorize Outlook's access request.
The general method works in any mail app: delete the stored password in the account settings, then re-enter your Yahoo password. If you use an app password, delete the current one on Yahoo's Account Security page, generate a new one, and enter that.
Fix Sending and Receiving Errors
If mail will not send or receive after setup, work through these verified checks.
Sign in to Yahoo Mail in a browser and send yourself a test email (allow up to five minutes). This confirms the account itself works; if it does not work on the web either, the issue is not Outlook.
Verify your Yahoo email address. An unverified address can cause a 553 error when sending from a third-party app.
If you see "Server password has changed" or "Authentication failed", update the app and reauthenticate.
Check that ports 995, 465, or 587 are not blocked by a firewall or antivirus.
Set the device to pull mail manually rather than automatically, and limit the number of connected devices.
If needed, delete and re-add the Yahoo account in Outlook to refresh the connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an app password to add Yahoo to Outlook?
Usually not. The new Outlook and an up-to-date classic Outlook use Yahoo's OAuth sign-in, so your regular Yahoo password works. You only need an app password for manual IMAP setup, or if your Outlook channel does not yet support OAuth.
Which Yahoo password should I type, my regular one or the app password?
For the OAuth browser sign-in, use your regular Yahoo password. The support guidance specifically warns to use your regular password and not the app password on that screen. Reserve the app password for the manual IMAP path only.
Is Yahoo supported in the new Outlook for Windows?
Yes. Microsoft lists Yahoo, Gmail, iCloud, IMAP, POP, Microsoft accounts, and Microsoft 365 work or school accounts as available in both new Outlook and classic Outlook. Microsoft's current feature comparison lists on-premises Exchange in new Outlook as partially available through IMAP, with functionality limited by protocol capabilities.
If I remove Yahoo from Outlook, does it delete my Yahoo account?
No. Removing the account from Outlook only removes it from Outlook; it does not deactivate your actual Yahoo email account. In the new Outlook, go to Your accounts > Manage > Remove and choose "this device only" or "all devices".
Why does generating my app password keep failing?
Yahoo recommends using a browser you have signed into for several days in a row and avoiding Incognito mode. If it still fails, generate the password from Yahoo webmail or the official Yahoo app instead.
I added an AT&T or Frontier address, not a Yahoo one. Why does it follow Yahoo's setup?
Some non-Yahoo-branded addresses (AT&T, Frontier, Rogers, Sky are listed) run on Yahoo's backend, so they follow the same sign-in and server settings as a Yahoo account.
